President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev won’t be able to participate in the summit of the EU Eastern Partnership program to be held in Riga on May 21-22.

President’s aide for public and political affairs, Ali Hasanov made the remark on May 20 while talking to media, Azeri media report.

He noted that “the President has an extremely busy schedule as very little time is left to the start of the first European Games and preparations for this important event have entered the final stage.” “That’s why the head of state will not be able to attend the Summit.”

Hasanov said Azerbaijan will be represented at the Riga Summit by Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan, Chief of the Administration’s Foreign Relations Department Novruz Mammadov and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

The meeting is expected to bring together the political leadership of the 28 EU Member States and six EaP partner countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine – as well as the EU institutions, including Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, and Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission.